Two weeks ago, in an interview with the “Asscociated Press”, Gene Haas drew attention to himself with a sentence about Mick Schumacher: “If he wins the next race, he’s in. Everything in between is a gray area.” Now there are increasing signs that Schumacher actually needs a small miracle in Mexico in order to be able to continue driving Formula 1 in 2023.
The door at Williams has been closed since team boss Jost Capito committed to Logan Sargeant. This makes Haas the only racing team that still has a vacant cockpit. According to the paddock, Antonio Giovinazzi is said to be out of the race. Good news from a German point of view, because it probably boils down to a duel between Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg.
According to information from “Motorsport-Total.com”, the driver announcement is planned for Tuesday or Wednesday in Mexico (subject to change). Team boss Günther Steiner only says: “Our goal is to know by Abu Dhabi who will be in the car next year.” Because that person should also be in the car during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.
Even before the US Grand Prix in Austin a week ago, Steiner announced that the decision would not be made before Mexico. In two consecutive races there was not enough time to take care of the driver question, he said in Texas.
Decision between Mexico and Brazil?
Our conclusion is that if the second driver is to be finalized ahead of the season finale on November 20th, and Steiner continues to believe that such a decision cannot be made in the midst of a back-to-back, then the die must be cast immediately after Mexico . Because from Brazil you go directly to Abu Dhabi.
There are increasing signs that things are looking bad for Schumacher. Since Gene Haas rumbled on the sidelines of the NASCAR race in Las Vegas that the German’s crashes cost his team “a fortune” and that he urgently needs to deliver points, Schumacher has written 15th place at Haas’ home race in Austin.
A result that, on its own, only tells half the truth: “My car was badly damaged in several places. Otherwise we could have finished sixth or seventh,” believes Schumacher. “But at least we know the speed is there, so we’re hoping for better luck this weekend.”
The expected points do not come
Schumacher has known for weeks that he is under surveillance. When he scored points at Silverstone and Spielberg, it almost seemed like he could turn things around. Since then he has not scored points on eight race weekends. Magnussen made it into the top 10, at least at the home race in Austin, with 9th place.
Incidentally, the Dane would not have a problem with either of the two Germans: “I respect Nico as a racing driver. I hardly know him as a person. That would not be a problem. I have no opinion on whether he should drive the second car. Mick is doing the same at the moment very good job. He had a couple of crashes at the beginning of the season but he’s definitely faster now.”
Even Steiner, always one of the harshest Schumacher critics, especially in summer, defends the 23-year-old after the unfortunate course of the race in Austin: “His car was damaged. You can’t take the performance at face value. He has 30 points of contact pressure missed because he drove over wreckage.”
Are the German media also to blame?
That the German Formula 1 experts and media, with their constant criticism of the Haas team – sometimes justified, sometimes borderline formulated – could drive him not to renew Schumacher’s contract, simply because of the hype that a racing driver with that name almost inevitably goes hand in hand with being freed, which Steiner firmly denies.
He says: “I have my opinions about some people, but I don’t have to write them on social media. I’m confident enough to do what I think is right. It’s simple.” The fact that the fans are incited against Haas shouldn’t remain with Schumacher, Steiner believes that, but it’s “part of the game” and doesn’t affect him any further.
Does Schumacher’s environment also play a role?
The most important criterion that Haas and Steiner use to decide is performance. Schumacher didn’t bring that, at least for long stretches of the season. There were also a few crashes that cost a lot of money. And: Behind the scenes, it is gradually leaking out that Gene Haas is not a fan of Schumacher manager Sabine Kehm.
Schumacher himself can only concentrate on his job, which is “not difficult” for him: “I’m here to do it well,” he says. “That’s what my main focus is. And that’s the only thing I can control myself. I’m trying to do my best and yes, that’s why I’m here.”
The future of Mick Schumacher in Formula 1 and what signs there are that he will no longer drive at Haas in 2023, but could be replaced by Nico Hülkenberg, was one of the central topics of the Formula 1 analysis on the YouTube channel on Thursday evening. Formula1.de channel.